Whipped.

I haven’t been cooking since that steak dinner I whipped up for the, er, former boyfriend. Obviously that says a lot about why I’ve been avoiding the kitchen. :P 

Anyway, November’s the best month to move forward and I thought I’d check up on this teeny tiny goal I made the beginning of the year—2011, I had declared, was the year I learn my way around the kitchen. And with only less than two months to 2012, I think I did pretty good.

From being a total kitchen ignoramus, I have managed to whip up the following dishes on my own: 

1. Penne Amatriciana
2. Adobo Flakes - this is sort of a copout because Ate L made the actual adobo. Mental note: remedy the situation and cook adobo from scratch! 
3. Grilled Cream Dory with Spicy Mango Salsa 
4. Smoked Fish and Chorizo Garlic Pasta - a family favorite, I might add :p 
5. Lime & Coriander Grilled Chicken 
6. My first homemade vinaigrette  - ever since I started making vinaigrette, I stopped eating salads with Caesar dressing. Too rich and heavy for me. Homemade vinaigrette is the SHIZ. I love how I can control how sweet, sour and spicy the dressing will be. 
7. Chicken sauteed with Apples
8. Spaghetti Bolognese
9. Pesto with Whole Wheat Pasta
10. Steak with Buttered Pearl Potatoes
11. Spanish Paprika Chicken with Spicy Tomato Rice 

Eleven dishes. Not bad. I still have a long way to go before reaching Masterchef material (hah!) but at least I’m no longer a food fraud. I still don’t know all there is to know about the kitchen, but at least I’m not an ignoramus. Yey, me! :D 

Last week, I was in Hong Kong for three reasons: 

1. To watch my man Anthony Kiedis rock out with the rest of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the AsiaWorld Arena. 
2. Shop to my heart’s content. 
3. EAT. 

When you’ve been to Hong Kong a couple of times and have seen all the staple tourist attractions, the only thing to do is basically walk around, shop and explore new food spots. The morning of the Chili Peppers concert, I did exactly that. My friend took me to Kowloon to check out the cheapest one-star Michelin dimsum restaurant in Hong Kong, Tim Ho Wan, where we ordered enough for five people. 

We were there quite early, and it was a good thing because there was already a growing queue at 8:30 a.m. This place is almost always packed so if you’re planning on a visit, better get there early AND bring an iPod or your mp3 player of choice. 

The line may be long, but it is SO WORTH THE WAIT. The food there is unbelievably AMAZING. 

We had steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce..

Deep-fried dumpling filled with meat:

Glue Rice Dumpling with Black Bean Sauce wrapped in lotus leaves

And The One Dish that you will dream about for nights to come: Baked Buns with Barbecued Pork. 

They look so unassuming, but the moment you taste the buns and the lip-smacking barbecued pork inside, you will believe they were made by the hands of GOD. Oh so sweet and salty and UTTERLY DIVINE. *gaaaaah*

I seriously DREAM about these buns. My cousin Mic was making fun of me for going gaga over, and I quote, “SIOPAO”, but wait until he gets a load of these bad boys next September. He’s going to regret calling these heaven-sent goodies, “siopao.” 

Seriously, when you’re in Hong Kong, better make this a part of your itinerary. The line is looooong, but so worth it. My friend and I actually woke up early for this. We made it in the nick of time—we were part of the first batch served! 

Tim Ho Wan is located at Tsui Yuen Mansion, Kwong Wa Street, Mongkok, Kowloon; and at G/F 9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon.  

A few weeks ago, my sister, cousin and I found ourselves in the middle of a foggy Tagaytay Tuesday. We had originally planned on going around the place, but the fog made it impossible to sight-see—not that there’s anything we haven’t seen yet in Tagaytay. You see the volcano, check out some of the “farms”, and that’s pretty much it. So we decided to just eat our way around it. 

Our first stop: Wining and dining at Buon Giorno. 

At my cousin’s insistence, we decided to try the Pollo Funghi Risotto, which reminded me of the Hainanese chicken rice my friend T made for dinner. It was light and good and really delicious. 

There is another variant—the Italian Sausage Risotto—and it was okay, but I felt it would’ve tasted better if we ordered it first before the Pollo (w/c was the highlight of our meal) because it used the same risotto but only with Italian Sausage, and the flavors did not really go well together. 

Also tried the Spinach Ravioli, only because I am on a quest to finding the best ravioli in town. (So far, I love the one they sell in the Mercato market the best). This one didn’t even compare. I’d have liked it better if they made their own pasta. 

We also decided to drop by Uncle Cheffy in Nuvali on our way back to Manila. I loved the “slow-cooked” lamb because the meat was really tender and not too gamey, but it kinda felt like it was microwaved and not slow-cooked at all. I like my lamb served really hot and steamy, but this one was served at room temperature.  

They also serve Panizzas, and I have to say that their East Meets West panizza is better than any of the ones I tasted in C’s. 

This one has parma ham, kesong puti, salted eggs, tomatoes, mangoes and three different cheeses. All my favorite ingredients in one plate. Yum. 

Call me a loser but I have never tasted a savory crepe EVER. I’ve always associated crepes with sweets, and I don’t really like the sweet ones that much so I thought that I wouldn’t like the savory versions either. 

Turns out I was sooo wrong. My sister and I were running late for a trip to Paranaque (wow, out-of-towners we are) one night and we were hungry so we decided to stop by Podium for dinner. We decided to try Cafe Breton and split the savory crepe shown in the photo. My bad, but I already forgot the name. I think it was Crepe Americane or something else that sounded, well, pretentious. It had hungarian sausage, caramelized onions, asparagus, an egg cooked sunny side up, and…dressing. Really really good dressing that brought all the elements together. So as pretentious as the name was, it delivers taste-wise. :D 

Can’t wait to try another one of them savory items. I tried Cafe Breton’s blueberry crepe before (tasted what my friend ordered) and I didn’t really like their sweet selection that much. But maybe I just haven’t ordered the right one. 

Anyway. Until next time. Happy eating!

—

By the way, I decided to go vegetarian for the time being. It’s part of my bucket list, and I figured now was the best time to do it because I am officially at my UNHEALTHIEST. So after my visit to Davao last weekend, where I gorged out on two types of lechon and loaded up on evil evil evil carbohydrates, I have decided to limit my diet to rabbit food. 

I’m not really torturing myself with this goal because the challenge is really in finding vegetarian recipes that are both healthy and delicious. I still want my food to be chockfull of flavor—AND this isn’t about starving myself to weight loss. I just want to introduce myself to vegetarian recipes that meet my taste standard. So let the vegan experiments begin. I can’t wait to post new entries in the next few days! 

Cheers,
-T 

My friends have been bugging me to check out Kanin Club because I’m probably the only one left in Manila who has yet to try it. It’s not that I didn’t want to, but when I was living in Paranaque, the closest Kanin Club was in QC. A new one eventually opened in Ayala Triangle, but I don’t really like going there because it’s always full during dinner. 

But a few weeks ago, I finally braved the traffic and had my first bite of Kanin Club’s yummy fare all the way in Westgate Alabang. And I now live in Greenhills. Smart. Very smart. :D 

Anyway, it happened the same day I went to San Pablo, Laguna with my friends, and as it was already dinner time when we were supposed to drop off Rica at her place in Alabang, we decided to grab a bite to eat before going back to Manila. Hence, Kanin Club. 

We had the Sinigang Fried Rice, which was really really good but I still like my Sinagang as ulam and not as fried rice. The crispy kangkong was a nice touch, as the saltiness offset the sourness of the sinigang broth.

I have to admit I was more intrigued by the Tinapa Rice, but I was outnumbered so we ordered this instead. I will just have that next time :P 

Kanin Club is known for its Crispy Dinuguan, which I would have liked if it weren’t so…porky. Ever since I swore off pork for an entire year last year, I’ve been craving the meat less and less. It was never a favorite to begin with. But the reason why I didn’t really like the crispy dinuguan much was because it was just too rich for my palate. I still like the traditional version. This one’s laden with crispy porky bits, which was just too much for my tummy. I spent half the day stuffing my face, see.  

What I liked, though, was the Bangus in Yellow Bean sauce. This was deelish. Glad Rics decided to order this!

What will make me come back to Kanin Club, however, is this killer dessert: The Turon KC.

It doesn’t look much, but it is sooo good. It’s a good interpretation of the classic turon—it has bananas, purple yam jam, sweet coconut (macapuno) strips and mongo beans. It’s topped with caramelized sugar and sesame seeds, and made a la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. HEAVEN, I tell you. HEAVEN. 

And with that, I can now go back to finishing my long overdue article. :P  

M. Dee Lim’s Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice at T. Pinpin St., Binondo 

Chili Crabs

Hainanese Roasted & Steamed Chicken Rice

Sambal Squid

A pork dish I forgot the name of, but it’s pork chunks and pork floss. REALLY GOOD. 

Freshly picked juicy tomatoes from Divisoria Ilaya Market

Already planning my next trip to good ‘ol Divi. 

If you’ve been following me on twitter and my other blog, then you probably heard me gripe one too many times about getting my third molar extracted. 

Finally had the procedure done the other day, and now I’m restricted to a soft/cold food diet, which basically means I can eat as much ice cream I want guilt-free. I favor a Korean icecreamsicle brand called “Melona”—it is all sorts of creamy and crazy and delicious. 

I’ve tried the Melon, Red Bean, Strawberry and Banana flavors, and out of the four, Banana is the only downer. It tastes like medicine. The rest leave me happy and sleepy. Melon is my favorite, and Red Bean comes a close second. Strawberry is strawberry and is always a good option. :D 

My boyfriend was actually the one who discovered this ice cream brand. It’s found in most Korean grocery stores. I get mine in Annapolis, Greenhills, but Z first got me some from a smaller store along Timog Avenue (near Pixie’s and Razon’s). Try the creamsicles—they’re sooo good! :D

—

So it has only been the second day since the surgery (do I even call it that? It was a 30-minute procedure that involved uprooting my apparently fat lower right third molar) and I am sick of eating yogurt and ice cream. Okay, not ice cream. Yogurt. Anyway, I wanted something tasty so I thought about doing something with the sack of baby potatoes we had lying around the kitchen. 

I remembered the Cheesy Potatoes Papu, Rica and I had at Mercato Centrale, and thought I’d make something like it. I didn’t really consult a recipe. Just trial and error. First boiled the potatoes, then I coated them in a mixture of olive oil and herbs seasoned with salt and lots of pepper, and cooked them on a grill pan. 

The result is this: 

Now they may not be much to look at but I swear on my recently extracted molar that they are absolutely delicious. My dad and brother loved it so much I had to tell them to leave some for me—I’m not allowed to eat anything hot so I had to wait for them to cool down. Finally ate my share—mashed them, but the flavor was still there. Salty and spicy—just the way I like ‘em. :D

Also made a batch of hummus, which I didn’t like so much because I added too much lemon juice. It came out on the sour side, and I’m thinking if I should “re-blend” it tomorrow, adding salt and a clove of garlic. Hmmm, we’ll see. 

To date, I’ve yet to make the perfect hummus recipe. At least, one that I like. Anybody know any recipes I can try? Make it as accurate and dummy proof as possible please! 

One of the sweetest things my boyfriend did during the early days of dating was whip up my then favorite dish: Paella Valenciana (I have since switched to Paella Negra; blame it on the Aioli and Tricia Gana).

On one of our dates, we agreed to bring food we thought the other would like. Because he could eat burgers to save the world, that’s exactly what I got him. It was the Sango Master Burger because it was still relatively unknown then, and he hasn’t tried it so I thought he would probably think I was the coolest in-the-know girlfriend ever yeahaah. 

And then he took out the paella he cooked for me, and my ego just went kaput. Byebye yousonamabitch.

It’s a damn shame I didn’t get to take a photo of the paella because it was one of the best valencianas I’ve tasted (and I’ve had a loooot of really good ones). He has yet to cook it again since, so every time I need a quick fix of good paella I turn to Las Paellas Cafe in Greenhills. 

It’s actually the topic of the post, and not Zeph. Haha. It was just nice to reminisce. 

Anyway.

Las Paellas Cafe was one of the first restaurateur profiles I’ve written. I had met Cookie del Gallego previously on our magazine’s first out of town shoot in Subic because her daughter was one of our teen models. She’s a very down-to-earth woman and what I liked about her was that she loves art probably as much as I do. Her husband, Ramon, started the Las Paellas restaurant in BF Homes, Paranaque. They started as a fine dining Spanish restaurant, but eventually decided it wasn’t them and that they wanted to make Spanish cuisine more accessible to the public. And so Las Paellas Cafe was born. 

They serve really good Paella Valenciana. I did not get to try the Negra because honestly I wasn’t too interested at the time. (Note to self: TRY THE NEGRA)

Another dish I loved was the Angus Beef Tapa. 

The Crispy Squid Tentacles was the first dish that made me fall in love with Aioli. It was the dip that went with the dish and it was just perfectly made. 

I love pizza and anything with chorizo so this one was a winner, too. 

The dessert was one of my favorites at the time—Frozen Brazo de Mercedes. I like the one made by Tricia’s mom the best. I don’t know if they still sell it in Magallanes but that has got to be the best frozen brazo in town. This one is okay, but seriously nothing compares to the one by Ana Marcos. 

Las Paellas Cafe is located on the 2/F Greenhills Promenade, San Juan. 

Photos from HIPP MAGAZINE are by Anthony Yu

Ever since I put up this food blog and taken photography classes, I’ve been thinking about food styling and the many elements that will make my food photos more attractive.

One of my current obsessions is ceramics because it just adds texture to what would otherwise be a mundane food shot. The last week I’ve been dying to get my hands on a fine piece of ceramic, and yesterday my two friends and I managed to find time to go all the way to Tiaong, Quezon to check out the fine wares crafted by ceramic artist Ugu Bigyan. 

Ugu Bigyan produces dinnerware sets, decorative tiles and accent pieces, and his works have been displayed in a number of resorts and establishments today. His residence and studio is in Tiaong, Quezon, and aside from being a showroom of his artistically crafted clay ware, it doubles as a dining/events place with its quaint huts, lush garden with fountains and koi ponds, and culinary feasts. 

We didn’t have lunch there (it’s by reservation only) but I got my ceramic fix. Brought home a large ceramic plate crafted and signed by Ugu Bigyan himself. It’s the most expensive piece of dish I’ve bought. Heck, it’s the only dish I’ve purchased on my own. 

See how beautiful it makes my Grilled Dory with Spicy Mango Salsa look:

Definitely worth it. 

Now the next time I buy ceramics will be in Divisoria, where—according to my friend Papu—they sell the plates as cheap as P20 a pop.

Drooling already. 

I solemnly swear that this will be the last of the series of chicken posts I am uploading.

Chicken isn’t even the main attraction here—it’s the same lime & coriander chicken I grilled a couple of days ago. But I used it as topping to my first homemade orange vinaigrette salad. :D

It all started when my cousin Francis and I went to Mercato Centrale yesterday morning to check out the place. I’ve been there a couple of times, but he’s never been so we did the usual rounds. We chanced upon a booth selling organic greens all the way from Bukidnon. Their selection of arugula managed to lure us to check out the booth. We both went home with a pack of mixed greens, and I decided it was high time I try the recipe my friend Trish gave me:

Orange Vinaigrette

What you’ll need:
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
Orange Juice
Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper

You just mix all the ingredients according to taste. If you want it sweeter, add more orange juice and honey. If you want to give it more kick, add more of the balsamic vinegar. And lots and lots of pepper if you want it spicy! :D

I got so excited that I searched for more vinaigrette recipes to make my salads more interesting. And I found this really helpful site: Vinaigrette Recipes.  

I think I want to try the mango vinaigrette next time. :P  

One of the first things I did when I made the decision to learn cooking was to look for an iPad app that will help me with my kitchen experiments. The search led me to “Real Simple: No Time To Cook”, an app that has an extensive recipe library of easy-to-cook meals from realsimple.com. It features a gamut of beef/lamb/pork dishes, poultry and seafood, vegetarian, and an assortment of both classic and interesting pasta recipes—-all categorized according to the amount of time required to finish the dish. In addition, it also has a Shopping List function wherein the ingredients of recipes you’ve selected are listed accordingly. 

Pretty handy when you’re doing the grocery, right? :P 

Well I’ve hardly ever used it. I’ve never been big on bringing my iPad with me everywhere because it is too bulky and it hurts my back. But nevertheless, I decided to remedy the situation by cooking up one of the recipes I listed in “My Favorites”. 

CHICKEN SAUTEED WITH APPLES 

What you’ll need:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 firm apple, cored, halved, and cut into half-inch slices
1 cup apple juice
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp dijon mustard

Easy Peasy Instructions: 
1. Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound with a meat mallet until about 3/4 inch thick. If you don’t have a mallet, use the back of a small skillet to flatten the breasts.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden. 

3. Add the apple slices, apple juice, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is fork-tender. 

4. Remove the chicken, apple slices and onion to a serving platter and keep warm. 

5. Bring sauce to a boil for about 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Whisk in the dijon mustard. Pour the sauce over the chicken. 

And, voila! Check it out: 

The verdict: 

The dish turned out pretty good, but it is lacking in flavor. I want more kick to it. I followed the recipe to the very last detail so maybe next time I’ll adjust the measurements according to my taste. :P 

I’ve been churning out a lot of chicken dishes lately, and I think I’ll probably start squawking like one soon. My next goal will be to work with beef! Have to admit that beef intimidates me. hahaha. Oh well, I have to start somewhere. Just figuring out what beef dish to cook first. Hmmm. 

And also, I want to learn how to make pasta from scratch! 

That’s all for now. :P 

-t